332 libraries plus 22 mobiles currently under threat or recently closed (List below “News”)Being the list below represents around a third of authorities in the UK, the final figure could be from 800 to 1000.

The figures have changed because:Plus 7 – Conwy may close 7 out of 12.Plus 8 – Northamptonshire has announced 8 possible closures (out of 38) plus 2 mobiles

Mr Pickles is quoted today as saying: “Before we see libraries cut and all these kinds of things, I want to see councils merge their back office functions ….I would like to see them sharing chief executives, their legal department, their accounts department, their payroll, their IT, their planning, their education support functions. And when they have done all that, if they feel they have to close libraries, they should talk to me again.”

317 libraries plus 20 mobiles currently under threat or recently closed (List below “News”) The figures have changed because:– plus six – Croydon has announced it is closing 6 out of its 12 libraries. This is on top of the local studies library already reported.

Libraries were mentioned on most national media (television and radio) today as the core central funding for each council was announces. Libraries were repeatedly cited as examples of services to be cut. The Times has the headline “Apocalypse Now” and chose to use a library as a main photograph.

Staffordshire joins the tiny club (Hillingdon and Wirral are the two other members I am aware of – anyone know any other council in this category?) of councils which have gone on record saying they will not close any libraries.

Being the list below of individual authorities represents around one-third of those in the UK, that could mean perhaps 800 to 1000 libraries could be under threat when all budget proposals are announced*. Tim Coates today announced he was in “despair” at this news. CILIP have been active behind the scenes and have promised action in the next week to publicise the plight of public libraries. Ed Vaizey, the minister responsible for libraries has written this week to each council to remind them that libraries are a statutory service.

Most councils decide their budgets for 2011/12 in February so, if you too are concerned by a proposed cut in funding for libraries in your authority, there is not much time left to let your councillor/MP/Minister know.

Reason for the change in figures today (from 279 libraries and 19 mobiles yesterday)– Plus 17 – Dorset – this authority had already announced “some” branches were under threat but has now said up to half of its 34 branches are to close or taken over by community groups.– Plus 5 – Flintshire – this is an entirely new figure.– Minus 2 – Hartlepool – Up to 3 had been earmarked for closure but the actual cut is 1 (plus a merger with a communty centre and a reduction in hours in all branches)– Plus 2 – Suffolk – this is a new figure – “one or two” to close.

Reasons for increases to figure.– Plus 7 and 2 mobiles – Gloucestershire. Figure increased due to comment from a Glos campaigner (on 6 Dec news – see below) who has kindly clarified I was using optimistic (!) figures. Figure now 25 libraries and 6 mobiles if one includes those reduced to a pitiful 3.5 hours per week.– Plus 8 – Figure increased by 8 as Walsall cuts noticed and included (thanks to Library Watch). Walsall are putting all their libraries under review, with the worst 8 closing.– Plus 1 -Shropshire is considering merging it’s reference library with Shrewsbury public library – I am including this as a loss as up to 10FTE could go.

Wigan has put out a public consultation that says only 2 of its 17 libraries are safe from closure. It is unlikely Wigan will close all of these but it is possible so the figure stands as 15 out of 17 under threat. I had previously put the figure for Wigan as 6 so the total has increased by nine. The London borough of Redbridge has announced five of its 12 libraries, relocating a sixth.

The figure has increased from 246 to 249 due to the announcement of 2 libraries in danger of closing in Milton Keynes and at least one likely to close in Kirklees. The list has been missing Barnet from the list as its proposed “EasyCouncil” cuts were announced before this blog started – this omission has now been amended. There have been a pile of pro-library blogs coming out due to a “Campaign for the Book” campaign and all of them make heartwarming reading for librarians.

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Numbers

From 1st January 2018: 20 libraries + 2 mobiles in Derbyshire.

From 1st January 2017, 100 libraries are under threat (5 in Bath, 17 in Bristol, 17 in Bury, 5 in Cheshire East, 3 in Cumbria, 8 in East Sussex, 4 in Liverpool, 7 in Midlothian, 21 in Northamptonshire, 10 in Plymouth, 4 in South Tyneside).

Since 1st April 2016 to end of March 2017. CIPFA reported 105 libraries closed, bringing the total to 3745 branches. 2015 to end of March 2016: CIPFA reported 121 libraries closed, bringing the total to 3850 libraries. In 2014/15 there was a decline of 106 public libraries, (with 260 static libraries were put under threat of closure/passing to volunteers. 9 mobile libraries under threat in the same period). .

There were 4023 in 2013/14, 4482 in 2009/10 and 4622 in 2003/4. CIpfa have calculated that 121 service points lost in 2015/16, 106 service points were lost in 2014/15, 49 were lost in 2013/14, 74 were lost in 2012/13, 201 in 2011/12, 33 in 2010/11.

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The complete list is on "Tally by Local Authority" page as are other changes to budgets such as cuts to hours, bookfund and staffing. ....
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